Clashes at Sunni protest site in Iraq kill 23

By ADAM SCHRECK and SINAN SALAHEDDIN, The Associated Press

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi security forces backed by helicopters raided a Sunni protest camp before dawn Tuesday, prompting clashes that left at least 23 people dead in an escalation likely to fuel hostilities between the Shiite-led government and minority Sunnis that have been raging for months.

The fighting broke out in the former insurgent stronghold of Hawija, about 240 kilometers (160 miles) north of Baghdad. Like many predominantly Sunni communities, the town has seen anti-government rallies by protesters accusing the government of neglect and practicing a sectarian agenda. They also oppose Kurdish ambitions to annex nearby Kirkuk to the Kurds’ three-province autonomous region.

Sectarian tensions have been intensifying in recent months, pressured by the Sunni protests that began in December and what officials fear is a strengthening of al-Qaida and other Sunni-backed militants. Hawija was the site of some of the fiercest fighting between U.S. and Iraqi forces who faced frequent deadly attacks by al-Qaida in Iraq and other insurgents. That raises fears the growing anger among Sunnis could lead to a new round of violence.

As news of Tuesday’s raid spread, calls went out through mosque loudspeakers in Fallujah, west of the capital, urging residents to protest in solidarity with fellow Sunnis in Hawija. About 1,000 protesters took to the streets in the western city, where anger at the government is particularly strong. Some chanted “War, war,” as security forces fanned out in the streets.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki swiftly announced the formation of a special ministerial committee to investigate what happened in Hawija, underscoring the government’s concern over the incident.

There were conflicting reports about the number of casualties.

Iraq’s Defense Ministry put the death toll at 23, saying that included an army officer, two soldiers and 20 “militants who were using the demonstration as a safe haven.” Another nine members of the military were wounded, the ministry said in a statement. It said the militants killed were members of al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Baath Party.

Sheik Abdullah Sami al-Asi, a Sunni provincial official from Hawija, said the fighting began early in the morning when security forces entered the protest area and tried to make arrests. He said scores of people were wounded or killed.

The raid occurred four days after a checkpoint jointly run by the police and army near Hawija came under attack, and militants seized a number of weapons before retreating into the crowd of protesters, according to the Defense Ministry.

That led to a standoff, with security forces at times trying to negotiate with local and tribal officials the handover of those involved in the raid.

The Defense Ministry said it warned demonstrators to leave the protest area before moving in early Tuesday, and that large numbers of protesters left the site. As Iraqi forces tried to make arrests, they came under heavy fire from several types of weapons and were targeted by snipers, according to the Defense Ministry account.

A United Nations spokeswoman in Iraq, Eliana Nabaa, urged both sides to avoid further violence.

“Stop immediately the use of weapons,” she said.

Protests against the Shiite-dominated government began in western Iraq in December following the arrest of bodyguards assigned to Sunni Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi. The rallies quickly spread to other areas that are home to Iraq’s minority Sunni Arabs, including Hawija.

Demonstrators are protesting alleged discrimination by the government, including the application of a tough anti-terrorism law that they believe unfairly targets their sect.

The protests have been largely peaceful, though there have been occasional incidents of violence. In January, at least five protesters were killed in clashes with security forces in Fallujah.

Also Tuesday, two bombs went off near a Sunni mosque in the southern Bagdad neighborhood of Dora, killing seven worshippers and wounding 17, police and health officials said. The worshippers were leaving the mosque after morning prayers at around 5:00 a.m. when the bombs exploded simultaneously, two police officers said.

A medical official confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.